Hotels in Bali

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There are hotels all over Bali in one form or another, but the greatest concentrations are in the main tourist cities in the south of the island. When searching for a hotel in Bali it’s first very important to make sure that’s what you are, in fact, looking for. On the island, and also for the purposes of this guide, accommodations in Bali are divided into four main categories.

Guesthouses – These are the cheapest places to stay and are usually quite basic. You’ll often be renting a room adjacent to a home, although especially in Kuta and Ubud there are large freestanding buildings that call themselves guesthouses. A room in a guesthouse will typically have cheap and basic local furniture, a fan, something resembling a bathroom, and not much else. Prices start around US$5 so you wouldn’t expect much luxury.

Hotels – A place calling itself a hotel will generally be a complex of adjacent rooms with outdoor entrances, similar to motels in the United States. They can range to almost as basic as guesthouses all the way up to expensive international resorts. The majority of them are in the middle of this range, and as the price goes up the more likely the room will have air-con, a TV, and a small fridge. Especially during the wet season, Bali can be stifling hot, even at night. If you are sensitive to humidity you should probably find a hotel with air-con if you are coming during the rainy season.

Resorts – A resort in Bali can be a small, upscale hotel with attractive grounds in a small town, or an international hotel chain with every imaginable luxury available for a price. Most of the latter kind are concentrated in Nusa Dua at the southern tip of Bali, but a few are near Kuta and elsewhere on the island. If a “resort” in Bali charges under $100 per night it’s very likely a local version since the international chains tend to be in a price category above that.

Villas – Bali has many large houses on landscaped grounds with swimming pools or other luxuries included. Many of these are rented by the night or the week, and prices can range from reasonable to unbelievable, depending on the specifics.

Finding a hotel in Bali

First off you want to figure out in which area you’d like to stay.

Kuta and Legian

These are two towns on the main surfing and party beach, and there is no longer a border or distinction between the two. This is the most popular area for surfers, backpackers, and other budget travelers, but in a way it’s the least magical part of Bali. It’s worth seeing and maybe spending a night or two in this area, but by all means you should stay elsewhere as well, hopefully early in your trip so you can see the real Bali.

This is the peninsula in the south of the island, and is unlike pretty much everything else in Bali. This area is dominated by huge international hotels and resorts and shopping centers aimed at guests of those places. Some people love it, others hate it. There are some excellent resorts here, but if you aren’t coming on a honeymoon or something like that you should probably explore other areas as well or instead.

Sanur

This beach town on the southeast coast is much smaller and more laidback than the Kuta/Legian area. It’s a really nice compromise between Kuta and Nusa Dua, but without all the big resorts and high prices.

This inland village is the arts capital of Bali and also a major tourist center. It’s small and mellow and there are lots of good sights and attractions nearby. You might not want to spend your entire Bali stay in Ubud, but it’s a good idea to stay a night or two if you can.

Booking a hotel in Bali

Unfortunately, the majority of the more affordable places (and there are lots of those) are still off the internet grid. In other words, doing a Web search for Bali hotels will turn up most of the more expensive ones and very few of the cheaper ones. Many people like to book everything before they come, and doing that through a booking engine like the one at the top of this page is simple enough. But if you don’t mind taking risks and your budget is on the low side, you can almost always turn up in Bali and then find a room when you arrive.